As computer innovation sweeps across the business and personal consumer markets, the Internet is growing in an exponential rate. It is estimated that over 30 million people worldwide use the Internet with 100 million predicted to be on the “net” within a few years.
The Internet is a network of computers and other devices linked together by various media, enabling all the computers to exchange and share data. Data may be transferred using a communication protocol such as Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). The Internet can provide information about a myriad of corporations, products, as well as educational, science, technology, research, business, entertainment information and services. Computers that initiate requests for information (i.e., service) are referred to as “clients”, and computers that respond to service requests are referred to as “servers.” Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is typically used to facilitate communication between clients and severs.
One important structure of the Internet is the World Wide Web (“web”). The web is a collection of information formatted as hypertext-based documents (i.e., web pages). A related set of web pages or documents maintained by a single web server is often referred to as a web site. This information can be distributed through computers around the world connected to the Internet. Web pages are basically a computer data file on a host operating as a web server within a given domain name (e.g., TV.com). The web server receives inquiries from clients (i.e., other computers) via the Internet and downloads the web page data in the file to the client making the inquiry. The web page may comprise multiple pages of information including messages, audio and graphical information, and combinations thereof.
The web pages are written using a programming language called Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Other hypertext programming languages may also be used to create the hypertext documents such as Dynamic HTML (DHTML), extensible Markup Language (XML), Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL). Generally, HTML commands, i.e., tags, provide functions for defining the layout/format of the web page, embedding sound and images in the web page and adding links (i.e., hyperlinks) to other web pages or web sites. These links allow the user to select a word, phrase or image (referred to as a “hypertext anchor”) to go to, or receive information from, a web site which may be located on a remote server.
Navigation tools, such as network browsers, are typically used by clients to access, process and display a web page. Examples of well-known browsers are Netscape and Internet Explorer. These browsers provide a set of instructions or commands that correspond to tags available in HTML. The browsers compare tags found embedded in the web page and execute the procedures corresponding to the matched browser command.
Hyperlinks, as discussed above, are typically identified as character strings, such as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) (i.e., an address to the web page). If the URL of the web page is not known, search engines allow users to search for web pages. Access to the search engines is provided via the browsers. Well-known conventional search engines include, for example, Searches, Yahoo!, Excite and Alta Vista. These search engines accept search criteria based on a “search text” from the client and search for web documents that match the search criteria.
The search text typically consists of one or more descriptive words related to the subject matter to be found on the web page. For example, to locate a web page relating to audio compact disk (CD) players manufactured by XYZ Corporation, the search text may be: “XYZ AND audio AND CD.” The search engines would then display results (“hits”) based upon this search criteria (i.e., the URL of, or hyperlink to, web pages containing these words).
One problem with these conventional search engines is that the results obtained using these search texts generally have no relation to geographic position. For example, the web page hits maybe related to businesses and services located around the United States or the world. However, the client initiating the search may only be interested in locating web pages (e.g., from businesses) within a specific geographic area. This would be particularly advantageous to a client located in that geographic area or possibly moving to that area.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,810 describes a system for listing and locating housing in specific geographic regions. The system includes a web home page and a housing information database. A map is displayed when the web home page is accessed by a user. The user narrows searches to geographic areas by selecting specific areas of interest on the map. Housing information related to the area of interest is then displayed for the user.
The information contained within the database, however, is merely a collection of data submitted by property managers. This information is like a real estate listing for a geographic area, i.e., similar to the yellow page directory for businesses within an area. In addition, all of the administration and updating of the database must be performed by the property managers.
This system, however, is not a web page search engine. It does not allow a user to locate web pages using geographic coordinates. The searchable information is limited to the information contained in the database—rather than the universe of information available on the web. In addition, this system is hampered by the need to be administered and maintained by the property managers.
Conventional search engines also have features similar to business directories. These search engines maintain databases containing list of businesses. A user may enter his home address, for example, and receive a list of businesses in the vicinity of the user's home address. These business directory features, however, suffer many of the same shortcomings discussed above.
One of the principle advantages of the web is that anyone (e.g., a small business) can create a web page that is “locatable” by a client (e.g., a consumer) on the web. There is no requirement to register the web page in a proprietary list, or submit the web page to a controlled database, to be accessible on the web.
With the tremendous growth of the Internet, the web is a valuable resource of information and business tool. A well-crafted web page, for example, can spark both e-commerce and local “walk-in” business for a business entity. To generate “walk-in” type business, a web page should be in someway linked to, and locatable based upon, geographic information. This will allow users to find web pages within or near a geographic area.
There thus exists in the art a need for improved systems and method for searching the web using searches based upon geographic coordinate-type information. It is also desirable to provide servers capable of facilitating access to web pages created using geographic coordinate-type information.